Unrequited Crush
by Flutejrp
Summary: Souske is in love with her best friend, but he's in love with someone else. When she started hanging out with Makoto, she found herself in the same situation.


**A/N: It's rare to find a fem! Sousuke in here so here is one.**

 **Genderbent: Sousuke(Souske), Haru, Ai, and Momo**

 **Pairings-**

 **Major:**

 **Makoto/Souske**

 **Minor:**

 **Rin/Haru**

 **Background:**

 **Nagisa/Ai**

 **Rei/Momo**

 **One-sided:**

 **Souske/Rin**

 **Makoto/Haru**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Free! or its characters.**

* * *

 _She seems so beautiful and grace when she swims. No wonder he fell for her. She's everything I'm not,_ teal eyes fixed on a thin figure gliding through the water. _Haruka Nanase, the girlfriend of Rin Matsuoka, my best friend since childhood. Not me, Souske Yamazaki, the original third girl in Rin's life._ Her and Rin stood the same height while Haruka came a couple of inches short. Both Souske and Haru had black hair, usually in a ponytail, but Souske's tanned skin made look Haruka pale, which she was. Another difference between the two is their eye color, Haru's a deep blue while Souske's a light teal.

However, the _big_ difference between her and Haru was standing beside her. Her best friend stared lovingly at Haruka, his usual hard red eyes softened. The eyes she craved and desperately wanted from him to look at her in that way. The short burgundy hair she wanted to messed up intimately that he had. The built body she wanted to run her hands up and down. This was Rin Matsuoka, Souske's best friend and the boyfriend of Haruka Nanase.

"She's amazing, isn't she?" Rin sighed euphorically. Souske wanted that as well, to be the one Rin complimented. It was him that she wanted in general, just him.

"I guess," Souske hummed, shrugging while she looked away. "Her entrance is still a bit slow."

She heard Rin chuckle. "Look I know that you don't like her, but that's because you don't know her." Souske turned to look at him. "But I want all the women in my life to get. My mom, my sister, my girlfriend, my best friend…"

"Yeah, yeah," Souske huffed, crossing her arms. "I get it." _Sadly. Even trying to knock her down on a peg back at the Iwatobi SC Returns Event._ She thought back to cornering Haruka and demanding that she didn't get in Rin's way, and to an extent her relationship with Rin. _I can thank her from not telling Rin, but I won't._

Souske watched as Rin walk to where Haruka after finishing her lap. She observed as the two engaged in playful and nice chatter, clenching her fist. _I don't like this. This feeling. I should be happy that he's happy, but it's with her, not me. It hurts more than any injury I've ever had._ She was so wrapped in her own thoughts that she didn't realize there was a person beside her until they spoke.

"Hey, Yamazaki-san, right?"

Souske turned to look at the figure. More like stared up at him. She recognized him as Haruka's best friend since childhood, Makoto Tachibana. His olive brown hair was dripping water, indicating he just finished a lap himself. He towered over Souske slightly, looking down at her with angelic green eyes. _I swear this guy is just an angel and it makes me sick…But he is hot._ His chest and arms were well-built, and, being a backstroke swimmer, Souske could just imagined what his back looked like. She bit her lip, just thinking about it before remembering that he was talking to her.

"Yes, Tachibana-san."

"Oh, you don't have to call me that," he chuckled, eyes wrinkling close.

"Well, call me Souske," she replied, frowning as his laugh made her heart skip for a second. "Call me Yamazaki-san makes me feel uncomfortable.

"Very well," he sighs, looking down at her with those angelic eyes. "As long you call me Makoto, Souske-chan."

She looked away as her cheeks turned pink at the way he said her name.

"Don't call me that!"

* * *

"Chocolate's girls' best friend!" Souske declared, chomping on a piece chocolate candy.

A laugh came from across her. "I wouldn't think of you as a chocolate lover." She turned to glare at Makoto, making him laugh more.

"Don't assume things!" She exclaimed from a mouthful of chocolate.

"I apologize," he replied, taking a sip of his soda.

Souske became lonely when Rin went over to Haruka's house. She called Ai and asked to come over, which turned out that she and Momo went to hang out with their boyfriends Nagisa and Rei respectfully. This ended up with Makoto as her last resort. After he came over, the two decided to get some treats, sweets for Souske and chips for Makoto, from a convenient store nearby. The two snacked, more devoured in Souske's case, while they chatted.

"Why did you move back and decided to Samezuka?" he asked, surprising her.

"To be closer to Rin," she stated back, like it was obvious. "He is my best friend, you know!"

"How did he become your best friend?" he asked, looking at her seriously.

Souske tensed, thinking back to how she and Rin met. "He and I were in the same swim club. Originally, we had started as rivals, competing to see who is the butterfly swimmer. After that, things started to get bad at home with my mom getting sick and dad being away all the time…"

 _Flashback_

 _Nine-year old Souske waited outside the club for her father, clutching her bag. Her father had been working hard at the business to try to gain more money to help her mother. She hasn't been swimming her best._

" _Hey! Yamazaki!"_

 _The girl turned to see her biggest rival, Rin Matsuoka, glaring at her._

" _Why did you stop racing me? I thought that was our thing. Or maybe you're admitting defeat already with me being the better butterfly swimmer."_

 _Souske rolled her eyes and turned her attention away from him. She didn't have the energy or the time to waste it on him today._

" _HEY! Don't ignore me!" she heard him yell._

" _Leave me alone, Matsuoka," she simply stated, not looking back at him._

" _What's your deal anyway?!"_

 _Being as mad as nine-year old could be, Souske turned around calmly. "Well, if you so want to know, my mom is very sick and she might die. Probably my dad too the way he overworks himself, trying to get money to take care of her and me. So I'm sorry if I don't race you anymore, but right now, I could care less about that."_

 _She left him speechless as her dad came and took her home._

 _Flashback_

"…that weekend, he came over with his family and helped my dad take care of my mom. We bonded over that weekend, but we were still rivals come Monday," she chuckled. Makoto had hung on every word she said, and she appreciated it. _He's just too good to be true._ "Anyway, my mom got better and we started to go over to Rin's and they would come over. We just got close after that. Gou started to call me her Onee-chan because she predicted that me and Rin would get married." _Unfortunately for me, she was wrong._

"That's an interesting story," he commented with a stupid, kind smile on his face. _Why does my heart skip every time he smiles?_

"Yeah, how did you and Nanase become friends?" she asked, making his eyes widened. "What? It's only fair since I told you about me and Rin."

"There's not much to tell," he explained, fiddling with his thumbs. "Our moms are best friends so it's natural for us to be best friends. After all, we've known each other since we were babies."

"And her and Rin being a couple hasn't affected your friendship at all?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Has it affected yours?" That made her shut up. "I'm happy for her, honest. She and Rin deserves each other."

"You're in love with her," Souske exclaimed in disbelief. "How does it not bother you?" He had told her about his unrequited crush, but he didn't know hers, thankfully.

"I kinda excepted it," he replied, his cheeks turning red. "After all, they had start liking each other since they were twelve. As time went on, I know it was a matter of time, and I've grown to accept that she won't be mine."

"But you still hurt every time they're together," she determined, popping chocolate in her mouth.

"Yeah, I don't think I will be able to move on," he sighed sadly, smiling at the ground. "Haru will always be the only girl for me."

Souske frowned, not liking the way her heart dropped to the floor. _Why does it hurt when he said that?_

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rin demanded, glaring at Souske.

"It's not your business," Souske fired back, clutching her injured shoulder.

"My best friend's injury is not my business?" Rin scoffed mockingly.

The topic at hand was pulled up at a Samezuka-Iwatobi joint practice, when Souske's shoulder had started acting up. She tried to swim with it as if everything was normal, but it hindered her stroke. Ai noticed it just before Souske went under. Both Rin and Makoto brought her out of the pool, Rin demanding she tell him what was going on. She did, and it felt like all hell broke loose as Rin lost his temper. This shocked everyone even Haruka, but Souske, who was used to Rin's anger, stood her ground and fought back.

"Yes, it's _my_ injury," Souske challenged, teal meeting red. "Therefore, _my_ business, not anyone else's."

"It becomes everyone's when it affects practice," Rin claimed, crossing his arms. _Oh, hell no! There's no way he's going into 'Captain' mode on me now._ "And my swimmers' body." _Oh he is!_

"Don't feed me that Captain bullshit right now!" Souske roared, fiercely glaring at him.

"It's not bullshit!" Rin snapped back, teeth showing. "You're not taking of yourself, Souske. You're going to hurt yourself even more."

She growled at him. "Don't you think I don't know that, Rin! But you know what? It's worth it!"

"What's worth it to have to lose your shoulder?" Rin dare asked.

Souske laughed, because she determined that this was ridiculous. She realized everyone was probably staring at her like she was crazy as she has her breakdown. She calmed down and looked Rin in the eye, "Swimming with my best friend." That made Rin shut up, eyes widening. "Is it worth it? You tell me. Is it too much to ask? Apparently so."

Souske walked off, grabbing her goggles and swim cap. She made it to her dorm before she broke down in the middle of the room.

 _Why, Rin? Why won't he notice that I love him and should be with him?_ She thought back to the times she and Makoto had when he came into her life. _I know that you accepted that she won't be yours, but I don't see how I can do the same with Rin._

The door opened interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to see Makoto. He looked at her with a firm look, seemingly not noticing her tears.

"Oh, now you're going to ask about my shoulder," Souske huffed, trying to wipe her tears. "Like I told Rin, it's nobody's b-…"

"You love him." He interrupted her.

"What?" she automatically responded.

"You're in love with Rin."

She paused, looking at him with teary eyes. "Like it even matters, he's with her." Her knees started to buckle as another fit of sobs hit her. Makoto wrapped her in his arms in tender embrace and they both sank to the floor, Souske sobbing into Makoto's chest.

 _No, please._ She mentally pleaded. _Not his warmth._ Her heart started to beat faster as he continued to hold her, tightening his arms. _The warmth that makes me want to forget Rin. Not his touch._ He rubbed her back. _His touch that I want to love me._ She felt his head lift up. _Not that! ANYTHING but THAT._ He kissed her head, running his hand through her hair. _I can't go through this again. Why am I such a masochist?_ As he cradled her, she nuzzled into his chest as her sobs calmed down. _I can't believe that I'm in this boat again._

At this moment, Souske realized that she had fallen for Makoto.

* * *

"I don't understand how you can like green curry," Souske commented, eating her rice.

"I don't understand how you can like tempura," Makoto fired back amusedly. "All that fried food affects your body and can be bad for your health."

The two were out at a restaurant after a long afternoon of studying. After Souske's breakdown, the two grew even more close, talking and texting long hours of the night. They would go out now and then, hanging out as friends. Their friends, specially Rin and Haru, believed that they were dating with Nagisa pointing out that Makoto went after her on the day of her breakdown. The two of them claimed that they were just friends who hang out together, and Souske pointed out that Rin and Haru made it that way since their dating left their best friends in the dust.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Souske grumbled, eating with one hand since her shoulder was in a sling. "My swimming days after high school are slim to none."

"You can still take care of your body," Makoto piped offhandedly.

"Shut up! It has vegetables." She pouted, continuing to eat her fried fish. She and Makoto continued to eat in silence, leaving Souske to her thoughts. _Every time I see him, my feelings for him grow even more and more. Stupid Makoto for making me feel this way! With his muscles, tallness and hair… adorable laugh… sweet smile…angelic green eyes…and… Damnit, I'm in too deep and I don't think I want to get out._

"Hey," she heard Makoto voice, looking up at him. "I want you to meet my family."

"Why?" She raised her eyebrow.

"Well, it's just that my mom wants to meet you," Makoto explained, rubbing the back of his neck, "because Nagisa may have slipped that we were together. But we're not, I told her. She still wants to meet you since she has met all of my friends. So what do you say?"

She agrees and that Saturday night Souske stood, wearing a teal button-up and black skinny jeans, in front of the Tachibana home, hair down and curled slightly. _Why did I dress up? I'm just meeting his parents. Then again, in the off chance that Makoto grows to like me, I want his family to like me._

She rang the doorbell.

* * *

"They all seemed to like you," Makoto told her as he walked her back to the Samezuka dorm. "You know you could have stayed with Haru. You didn't have to go back to the dorms."

"I rather not have Haru interrogate me about my relationship with you," Souske dismissed, putting her hands in her pocket. "We're just friends. It shouldn't bother her. I mean, if she said, 'Makoto, I don't like her. Stop hanging out with her', would you? I mean, Rin wouldn't said that because he's good friends with you as well." She paused when she noticed Makoto had stopped walking with her. "Makoto?"

She looked back at him and saw him looking at the ground.

 _Why did he stop? All I was-…wait, he wouldn't! He couldn't!_

"Makoto, if Haru said to you to stop hanging out with me, would you?" He didn't say anything. "Okay, I see how it is. You totally would."

He finally looked back up at her. "Souske, let me explain."

"No, your silence said it enough," Souske snapped, cursing herself. _I knew this would happen and yet it hurts even more than Rin getting with Haru._ "You're still in love with her and you would do anything she would say."

"That's not true!" he yelled back.

"You're just like a dog, doing whatever it's mistress asks," she continued, tears coming to her eyes.

"I'm my own person!" he asserted, stomping his foot.

"You would _fuck_ her, if she asked you!" she roared at him. "Don't lie, Makoto."

He faltered before glaring at her in an un-Makoto-way. "You do the same for Rin."

She laughed, surprising even herself. "Oh. My. God. I can't believe you just said that." She continued to laugh for a while, once again sounding like a lunatic. "I'm not that way anymore. I don't feel that way about Rin anymore." She looked at him seriously, tears still in her eyes. She watched his eyes widen. "Yeah, that's right."

"I'm so, so sorry, Souske-ch…"

"Don't say that! Don't call me that! In fact, don't call me at all anymore. We're done!"

For the second time in her life, Souske walked away with someone speechless. Only this time, her heart hurt with every step she took away from him and to her down.

* * *

Souske spent the next few weeks, avoiding Makoto. At first, he seemed to respect her request of not calling her until a week after. He started to blow her phone up with texts and voicemails. She thought about blocking/deleting his number, but she didn't have time to, or the heart to. Rin noticed her behavior and questioned her about it.

"Ask Haru," Souske had replied, "Makoto may have told her." He didn't ask her again, but the next time she saw him, Rin gave her a comforting hug, the first that didn't cause her heart to beat faster or even skip.

Souske seemed composed on the outside, but on the inside she was breaking. Every moment away from him felt like a knife to her heart, making her realize that she fell for him deeper than she expected. Finally, fed up with the texts and calls to her, Souske wrote a final text to Makoto.

" _Hey, I'm going to say this once before I officially delete your number. You said once that Haru will always be the one for you and you won't be able to move on. I understand that. However, my heart couldn't. I was attracted to you ever since I've met you. The more time I spent with you made me realize that I could move on. I only fell deep when I had my breakdown and you comfort me. I can't live without talking to you, seeing your smile, your kind eyes. Yeah, it was true that I wasn't in love with Rin; I'm in love with you. But it hurts being with you, knowing that there won't be a chance of being with you in that sense. This happened twice; first I tripped in a puddle, and now, I fell into a hole. I fell for someone who don't feel the same. I wish you luck with your life and hope that it's filled with the things you deserve._

 _Love, Souske-chan"_

She sent the text and permanently deleted his number, breaking down into tears.

* * *

After that, Souske's life got better, but not by much. She stopped avoiding Makoto, but she didn't go to him when their friends got together. Makoto never approached her either, which proved to her that Makoto didn't feel the same and still loved Haru. On the bright side, her relationship with Haru had gotten better, involving the two sharing a conversation about tempura. Apparently, Haru claimed that using mackerel in tempura was delicious. She and Rin sat in the living room of Haru's house to prove that theory, which was correct.

"What's up with you and Makoto?" Rin asked, taking a sip of his drink. "A couple of weeks, you couldn't stand in being the same room and now, you're joining us again."

"It's none of your business, Rin."

"Actually, it is his business. Since you were in love with him for so long," Haru piped, taking a sip of tea.

Souske froze before relaxing. "How do you know that?"

"It was obvious," Haru replied simply.

"Apparently not to me," Rin voiced, making Souske look at him in horror. "I found out a couple of weeks ago. Haru explained the situation to me. I'm sorry that I didn't return your feelings."

Souske recomposed herself. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"Because you're in love with Makoto." Souske looked at her shocked. "Despite how guarded you are, you're very easy to read."

Souske shook her head. "That doesn't matter anymore. He's still in love with you. He won't move on. That's that." She clenched her fist, looking down at the ground with tears in her eyes.

"I wouldn't say that." She looked up at Haru in shock. "Despite whatever he told you, he feels something for you."

"How do you know that?" Souske snapped at her. "He's in _love_ with you. Don't tell me that you don't know that!"

"I know that," Haru explained simply, "I told him that I like Rin. We were 14."

Souske paused, remembering what Makoto told her.

" _They had start liking each other since they were twelve. As time went on, I know it was a matter of time, and I've grown to accept that she won't be mine."_

"He confessed to you?" Souske asked in disbelief.

"And I rejected him," Haru finished. "He told me that there wouldn't be anyone else. Until you came in the picture." Souske looked back at Haru. "I thought it's only a matter of time when he realizes it. However, he realized it too late."

"Realized what?"

* * *

Souske knocked on the Tachibana door, and his mother answered the door. She and the rest of the family were on the way out for the afternoon, while Makoto studied exams. She walked to his room, direction-impaired be damned. He was on his bed, glasses on his nose. She knocked on his door, gaining his attention.

"Souske?"

 _Shit, he looks so adorable._ She mentally snapped back to the task. She marched up to his bed, making him stand up.

"What are you-?"

Her lips on his interrupted him.

 _Flashback_

" _However, he realized it too late."_

" _Realized what?"_

" _That he's in love with you."_

 _Flashback_

After that, she walked out Haru's house and into his. She cupped his face and kissed him, standing on her toes. A few moments passed before she felt his arms around her waist and he kissed her back. Her hands went to his hair as she pressed herself against him. She found out that that was hard to do with a boy taller and stronger than she was, as they both crashed on his bed with him on top of her. After a moment of shock, they both laughed full-heartedly.

Laughter dying out, both of them sat up on his bed and stare at each other. The eyes staring lovingly at her weren't red, but she couldn't be happier that there were green.

"I love you, Makoto."

"I love you, Souske-chan."

"Don't call me that…" she kissed him again.

"I'm sorry for anything I did to make you cry."

"Stop being such an angel!" She pouted at him. He chuckled, kissing her pout. "I'm sorry for ignoring you, avoiding you, deleting your number…"

"How about we make it to each other by dating?"

"Yeah, that'll do it." She smirked, pulling him down into a kiss.

 _At last, I love someone that didn't end up as an unrequited crush._

* * *

 **Review if you liked it!**

 **~Luv, Flutejrp**


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